Technical Solutions to Overcrowded Park and Ride Facilities

Abstract

This report presents the results on potential techniques to more efficiently utilize existing park and ride technologies and plan for future changes to the park and ride facilities. It presents: (1) A summary of parking monitoring and parking guidance systems and recommendations that includes a cost analysis using three technologies: magnetometer, video image processing and inductive loop detectors for a typical parking installation; (2) A prototype parking information and reservation system through the web and cell phone that includes a parking reservation algorithm and solution methodology, a web-based parking reservation system and a cell-phone based parking reservation and information system. The establishment of a web and cell phone based parking information and reservation system is recommended as the main technology to efficiently allocate the parking spaces from overcrowded to underutilized park and ride facilities; and (3) A prototype park and ride intermodal transportation planning model and a case study implementation, with the model recommended to be expanded as a real-time traffic and park and ride forecasting system to enhance the operations and planning of park and ride facilities.